“Diplomat” Season 2 Ending: Where Will Kate Wyler Go from Here? 

So, you’ve just binge-watched Season 2 of The Diplomat, and now you’re sitting there like, ‘What just happened?’ Keri Russell, our favorite diplomat Kate Wyler, has gone through some major ups and downs.

The finale was filled with twists that could make your head spin. We thought we had a handle on who was behind the attack on the HMS Courageous, but oh boy, were we wrong! At the end of the season, things got super intense.

President William Rayburn drops dead right after finding out that Vice President Grace Penn was behind the attack. This is like something straight out of a thriller! Now, with Rayburn gone, Penn takes over as President, and it raises a ton of questions about what’s next for Kate.

Will she become Penn’s right-hand woman, or will she find herself in deep trouble? The season left us with so much to unpack, and we can’t help but wonder about Kate’s future in this wild political game.

President William Rayburn’s Shocking Exit

Okay, let’s talk about what happened to President William Rayburn (Michael McKean). He was leading the country as usual, but then everything changed. Right when he learns that Vice President Grace Penn has been up to some sneaky stuff, he suddenly has a heart attack.

Rayburn gets a call from Hal, who tells him that Penn approved the attack on the HMS Courageous. When Rayburn hears this, it’s too much for him, and he collapses. Just like that, we’ve lost our President.

And guess who steps in? Vice President Grace Penn becomes the new President of the United States. Now, with Rayburn out of the picture, Penn has all the power, but she’s not playing nice.

She gives Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) a serious warning to keep quiet about everything that happened. This is going to change the game for Kate. Will she go along with Penn’s plans, or will she risk it all to expose the truth? The tension is thick, and we can’t wait to see how it unfolds.

The Fallout from the HMS Courageous Attack

Let’s rewind to the attack itself. The HMS Courageous was supposed to face a small explosion, a little scare tactic. But things went horribly wrong, and it ended up being a big disaster.

The plan was to blame it on Prime Minister Trowbridge, but surprise! It was actually Vice President Penn who pulled the strings. Why would Penn do this? She and her ally, Margaret Roylin, wanted to stop Scotland from becoming independent.

They thought if they staged the attack, it would help keep the Creagan nuclear base safe. But as we saw, things went south fast! After the chaos settles, Kate is left with a tough choice.

She has to decide whether to stay quiet or speak out about what really happened. With Rayburn gone and Penn looming over her, it’s a risky situation. Kate’s caught in a web of lies and political games, and she must figure out how to protect herself while staying true to her values.

What’s Next for Kate Wyler in Season 3?

Now that Grace Penn is the President of the United States at the start of Season 3 of The Diplomat, she’s likely to target Kate Wyler to protect her own interests. Penn might want to silence Kate just like she and Margaret Roylin did to Merritt Grove.

For Kate, continuing to expose the truth about the HMS Courageous attack could be extremely risky, especially with the shock of President Rayburn’s death overshadowing everything else.

Revealing the truth could look like betrayal to her country, and we can bet Hal Wyler would advise her against it. In Season 3, it’s likely that Kate will find herself working closely with President Penn, possibly stepping into the Vice President role.

This new position will force her to face some harsh realities that she’s not quite ready for. It’s a rude awakening compared to her earlier expectations. Kate will also need to grapple with the tough decisions that Penn made—decisions she might have agreed with in different circumstances.

Meanwhile, Kate’s relationship with Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison could become strained if he ever learns the full truth about what happened. This revelation would also be disastrous for Prime Minister Trowbridge. The creator of the show, Debora Cahn, hinted at this tension when she told Netflix’s Tudum that Season 3 “flips the chessboard.”

She suggested that Kate will experience the complicated nightmare that comes with getting what you want. This implies that as Kate navigates her new role, she’ll have to make choices that could change everything.

The Diplomat is available to watch on Netflix!